I have been around for a long time and involved in some terrible campaigns, but the policy vacuum in 2013 was the worst I can recall. There was no serious debate on issues, whether simple or complex, and…

Bronwyn Bishop will become the 29th Speaker in the House of Representatives.
AAP/Alan Porritt

Tony Abbott wants to be known as the infrastructure prime minister. He could be remembered for building roads and scrapping high-speed rail. But the role of Chinese finance and technical expertise in infrastructure…

Coalition frontbencher Sophie Mirabella appears likely to be unseated in her rural Victorian seat of Indi by a popular local independent candidate, Cathy McGowan.
AAP/Julian Smith

Following a close count on election night, the result in the rural Victorian electorate of Indi is still unknown. As the counting of votes continued, it was still unclear whether Liberal incumbent Sophie…

The Coalition will retain the Labor government’s onshore extension of the Petroleum Resource Rent Tax.
AAP

Along with repealing the carbon tax, scrapping the mining tax is one of the Abbott government’s first orders of business. Deeming it damaging for jobs and investment, Prime Minister Tony Abbott promised…

With strikingly similar parallels to Tony Abbott’s victory, Erna Solberg’s centre-right party took power in Norway in an election this week. What now for centre-left politics?
EPA/Solum

Imagine a country with a strong, well-performing economy, ruled by a centre-left party that has achieved a number of key reforms. Yet, despite having a good story to tell about strong growth, low unemployment…

In the last week of the campaign, some naggingly familiar comments came out from the Coalition. Then opposition leader Tony Abbott said he wanted to see the national curriculum in history changed because…

Senators from microparties such as the Motoring Enthusiasts Party and the Sports Party were elected on Saturday with a very small percentage of the vote. Can we fix this problem?
AAP/Lukas Coch

The election is over, and the result was pretty much as expected, according to the commentators, polls, and the betting companies. Yet, despite the predicted outcome, Australians were bombarded with ad…

Howard moved Abbott to health to solve a major political problem for his government: bulk-billing rates.
AAP Image/Mick Tsikas

Quote of the Day

'I think the people smugglers now know that things are going to be very, very different in this country and in the seas to our north.
PM-elect Tony Abbott will enforce a hardline on boat arrivals as a high priority in government.